Summer Spark will help you get a head-start transitioning into your first year of college. You'll get to know campus, meet new people, and experience college first-hand. If you're a little nervous about college and you want the opportunity to ease into your first year so you're ready for the start of classes, Summer Spark is also for you! 

By participating in the Summer Spark Academy before your first semester at NKU, you’ll have the unique opportunity to:

• Complete a course required for graduation with an NKU faculty member;
• Receive up close and personal support by NKU faculty, staff, and your peers through small class sizes;
• Learn to navigate the structure and rigor of college with college readiness and preparation sessions;
• Engage in valuable out-of-the-classroom programming geared to your academic success and personal development at NKU;
• Build lasting relationships with your peers through campus and social activities;
• Access all campus resources and services to help you smoothly transition into your first year of college; and
• Experience all of this and more at a significantly reduced rate.

The Summer Spark Academy is open to ALL incoming first-year NKU students. We cater and customize the Summer Spark Academy courses and experiences around the student's pre-college coursework and major of interest. Regardless of high school grades and test scores, we will work with you to select courses that will best help you transition into NKU.

The Summer Spark Academy will take place on campus. Please note that University Housing is not available.

The cost for this year's Summer Spark Academy program will be $200.

This cost INCLUDES everything you will need for courses and all activities/experiences, including lunch on Wednesdays and campus parking.

All course credits earned during the Summer Spark Academy are applied to your NKU degree requirements!

The Summer Spark Academy will offer a choice between two courses for 2026. Depending on pre-college course work and major of interest, some students will be placed in the course that aligns with their academic success. The 2026 course offerings are as follows:

Morning Courses (9:00 – 11:00 a.m.)

• ENG 101W: College Writing (4 credit hours), General Education Course - Study and practice of writing process and writing with attention to audience, purpose, and conventions appropriate to writing situation; use of workshop model for enhanced instruction in reading, writing, and analyzing a variety of texts, including written, digital, or visual.

• LIN 175: Information Literacy (3 credit hours), General Education Course - A foundational course that introduces students to the cross-disciplinary skills needed to assess information needs, and access and evaluate information sources.

The Summer Spark Academy runs Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. - Noon, with class every day followed by a college readiness / social session (lunch is provided on Wednesdays as part of the cost to attend). There will be no classes on July 6th.

Afterwards, students are free to work or engage in other summer activities, if needed. Students have the opportunity to meet with a tutor or their faculty before and after the program, as well.